Multi-cell bulk container



United States Patent Inventors Philip R. George Houston, Texas; Robert N. Wood, Indianapolis, Indiana Appl. No. 790,670 Filed Jan. 13,1969 Patented Dec. 1, 1970 Assignee Inland Container Corporation Indianapolis, Indiana a corporation of Indiana MULTI-CELL BULK CONTAINER I Claim, 7 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl. 229/15 Int. Cl. 865d 1/36, B65d 3/24, 865d 5/48 Field ol'Search 217/18, 34,

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 10/1892 Chapin 229/90 6/1927 Crowe11.. 229/C.S.-Dig. 6/1930 Walter 229/15 8/1934 Lupton 229/15 7/1936 Wilkins 229/l5-X 7/1953 Claffet a1. 229/50-X 10/1967 Beeby 229/15-X 8/1968 Adams 229/15 2/1969 Wood 229/15 Primary Examiner-Raphael H. Schwartz Attorney-Woodard, Weikart, Emhardt & Naughton ABSTRACT: A multicell container having reinforced ends and which has no exposed corner or panel seams orjoints; The joints or seams in the individual cells are staggered to'prevent interior, divider-wall weakness.

Patented Dec'.1,1970 3,543,991

Sheet 1 M2 INVENTORS ado rm? J LQODAOAQMKMHMW Patente d Dec. 1, 1970 Sheet Q of 2 INVENTORS i Z J M T mm l m -MULTI-CELL BUL K CONTAINER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The inventionis in the field of containers formed of corrugated board and having multiple cells or compartments.

2. Descriptionof the PriorArt Various types of multicell containers are used for shipping bulk, flowable materials such. as synthetic resins, crude reproject synthetic rubber, liquid vinyls, frozen foods, etc. These materials have substantial weight per unit volume and the conventional large multicell containers (some of the order of 3 to the cells may be provided with conventional end closure flaps l3 and might also incorporate conventional top closure flaps for closing the upper end of the cells, however. top closure flaps have been omitted in the embodiment shown. Reinforc- 6 feet in height) utilizedhave various means for reinforcing v the panels of the outer cells to prevent bulging one such means used widely being metal banding about the body of the container. Normally, these-banded containers have one or more corner joints or seams and, with the band reinforcingagainst bulging of the wall panels, thesetaped or stitched corner seams tend to bulge and tear. This exposes the contents of the container to contamination by dust and dirt and, particularly in the case of synthetic rubber, such chance 'contamination of the material is highly undesirable. The interior surfaces of the container cellsare, for many applications, coated with a release coating to prevent the bulk product from adhering to the cell walls. This release coating, of course, also prevents adherence of glue or other adhesive so that any gluing of the cells into assembled relation must fasten cell surfaces which do not, in assembly, become interior surfaces. that is, surfaces engaging'the container contents. The loading of the containers, and hence the bulging stress, can. bequite" severe since the containers may be, as an extreme, 8 feet in height and holding 3000 pounds of a bulk, flowable product. Stacking of the containers in warehouses or in shipping aggravates, the problem by increasing the loading on the lower tiers of containers. I I

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is embodied in'a multicell container necessary the gluing together of the individual cells at the pointof use. The primarilyv important feature of the structure is that it has no external seams or joints andthe joints inherent ing side panels or pads 14 overlie the outer side panels 120 and 10c. Enclosing the lower portion of the cells and the pads 14 is a bottom tray 16.

' The cells are each formed from a sheet of corrugated board which has been scored to permit folding into arectangular configuration as shown in FIG. 2. ln-conventionally formed containers the manufacturers joint, or line of juncture closing the box into a tubular configuration is normally at one corner of the box. However, in forming the cells of the present container assembly, the line of juncture occurs intermediately in one of the side panels. The line of juncture for the cell 12 is identified at 17- in FIG. 2, that for the cell II is identified at 18 and the joint or line of juncture for the cell 10 is illustrated at 19. e

The cells are held'in side-by-side relation by. adhering, by means of glue or other fastening means, ,the junctional side panels to the adjacent cell side panels/In FIG. 2 the adhering substance is indicated at 21 and the junctional panel 120 of the cell 12 is adhered to the side panel 110 of the cell II. The junctional side panel 1ln..of the cell I1 is adhered to the junctional side panel 10d. Where two junctional panels are secured together, the line of junctures, such as junctures l8 and I9 are spaced or. staggered with relation to each other thus avoiding weakening the wall structure formed by the panels.

The preferred construction of the reinforcing end panels 14 is illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4. The panels or pads 14 are each formed by a sheet of corrugated board Zl having corrugations extending vertically as indicated at 21a in FIG. 3 with the I sheet being scored as indicated at 22 and 23. Overlying the or otherwise secured to the surface of the sheet 24.

FIG. S'iIIustrates the container of FIG. 1 without the bottom tray 16 and in collapsed condition as it would be when stored inthe formation of the individual cells are staggered, or transversely spaced, with relation to each other so that'nolines of weakness or stress concentration are developed in' the con tainerevenunderextremeloading. r

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS bodying the present invention.

at an intermediate stage in its assembly.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view ofa reinforcing panel for the container at an intermediate stage in its assembly with portions broken away to indicate the direction of extension of the corrugations.

FIG. 4 is an end view of the reinforcing panel after complete assembly. I

FIG. 5 is a side view of the container assembly without the bottom tray, with the container being shown in partially collapsed or folded condition ready. for transport or storage.

FIG. 6 isa top plan view of the blank from which the bottom tray is formed in showing reinforcing tape or band in place.

or during shipment tothe user of the container. As will be evident from FIG. 5 the inner surfaces of the end pads 14 are glued or otherwise secured to the adjacent cell panels l2c. and 100, the glued surfaces being indicated at 31. In FIG. 5, the

glued surfaces of the FIGS. are indicated at 32..'

Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, the tray structure 16 will be described in detailJThe tray is formed of a sheet of corrugated faces. Tw oopposite flaps 42 and 44 also have extending from FIG. 7 is a-perspective view of the tray formed from the blank shown in FIG. 6.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT.

their ends the tabs 47 and 48 extending the length of the flaps FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the container assembly 42 and 44 and, additionally, extending across the pads 47 and 48 are strips of reinforcingtape 49 and 51, the tape being preferably formed of a high tensile strength material such as fiberglass. As may best be seen in FIG. 7, when the tray is erected the tabs 47 and 48 are secured by gluing or stapling or other suitable fastening means to the adjacent surface of the flaps 43 and 46 and when so arranged, the tape strips 49 and 51 extend around the corners of the tray and serve to reinforce the tray corners. 1

When completed anderected the container may utilize both a top and bottom tray, the top tray acting as a closure or, as previously mentioned. the top of the container may be provided with conventional closure flaps. The completed FIGS. has no corner joints and the staggered line of junctures of the panels forming each cell provide unweakened interior parti- 'tions between the cells.

We claim:

I. A multi-cell container assembly for bulk material of subtion which is rectangular in cross section,. said cells being tainer assembly and extending between the adjacent tray sidewalls and the side panels of said outermost cells. each of said reinforcing panels being formed of a first sheet of corrugated board folded uponitself so as to enclose a second sheet of corrugated board the corrugations of one sheet extending transverse to the corrugations of the other sheet. 

